Cracker-box.



JAMES B. ARTHUR, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

CRACKER-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 19, 1907.

Application filed March 29. 1906. $crial Nea 308.758.

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Be it known that I, Jmins B. ARTHUR, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, rcslding at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCracker-Boxes, of which the followi 111g 1s a specification, referencebeing had ployed in the front of such boxes and the la bel which isinserted therein and held against the rear face of said glass.

In the accompanying drawings, F igure 1 represents a perspective view ofa crackerbox constructed in accordance with my invention, showing thelid in a partially-raised position. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of abox, largely broken away, the lid having been opened. Fig. 3 is adetached detail perspective view of the corner-strip by means of whichthe glass front and label are secured in position, and Fig. 4 is atransverse sectional view through a part of this strip.

In the construction of cracker-boxes it has heretofore. been the generalpractice to flange over the rim or upper edge of the box, the outer edgeof this flange being some dis tance from the inner surface of the box,which is yery inconvenient in the packing of the crackers in the box.Again, it has been the general practice to employ corner-strips forsecuring the glass front of the box in position, the ends of whichcornerstrips are usu ally placed some distance from the sides and whichstrips are soldered onto the skeleton front.

In my improved construction in lieu of providing thestrengthening-flange around the top of the box, which flange projects inwardly over the box-opening, I provide the box 1 with exteriorstrengtheningstrips 2 along the sides at the top and bottom and also atthe rear or back of the box, these strips being provided by llangingover the The front 3 of the cracker-box is usually constructed with acut away portion 4, which is closed l y a glass plate 5, and above thisthe said front has another cut-out portion 6, that is closed by a label7, on which is marked indicating matter to designate the contents of thebox. 'l he glass plate is provided so that the contents of the box maybe observed from the exterior.

The cutting out of the front leaves the saute substantially skeleton in.form, and IIYONIIS must be provided for holding the label 7 in positionand also for securing the glass plate in position. As to the latter Iprovide an upwn.rdly-extending strip or lug S on. the bottom cf the box,intericrly spaced a short distance awry from the front 3, and betweenwhich and. the front the lower edge of the glass plate is received. Theupper edge of this glass plate is engaged and held by twovertic..lly-slid:.ble catches 9, mounted in keepers 10, carried on. therespective cornersirips 1], by n1eans of which latter the indieatinglabel 7 is held in position. The catches 9 are each provided. with aprojection 12, which may be formed by pressing the niaterial outwardlyat a certain point, the convex face thereof projecting to ard the keeper10 and coacting with a concave seat 14, fcrnied in said keeper. Thuseach catch may be held in the locked position when the projection 12 isin engagement with the concave seat and in the unlocked position whenthe catch 9 is in the position shown in Fig. 3 of the drzwviugs. Theccrner-strips 11 are substantially triangular-shaped, having two oftheir edges bent over to form side and bottom flanges 15. These stripsare placed against the inner face cf the front 1, with the flangestoward. said. front and the vertical flange of the strip abuttingagainst the corner- *all of the box, thus bringing the strip up close tothe corner and having the space which occurs when said strips aresecured to the front a considerable distance from the sides, as is theusual practice, the strips having their flanges facing against the frontforniing a space in which is received the label 7, this being insertedinto the space between the front wall and a strip 16, locatedintericrlyof the box at its top and spaced a short distance away fromthe front. The usual cover 17 is provided, which may be hinged in anydesired manner.

The catches 9 are provided adjacent each end with longitudinal ribs 18,which form stops to limit the movement of the clip in each direction,these being so placed that when the projection 12 is in engagement withthe seat 14 the uppermost rib 18 will hold the clip against furthermovement through its keeper, and when the catch is shoved upwardly, soas to disengage the projection 12 from its seat 14, the lowermost rib 18of the catches limits the movement of these catches. The upper ends ofthe catches are preferably curved outwardly slightly, as shown at 19, soas to enable the operator to readily move the same by engagement withthe tip of the finger.

By this construction it will be observed that the glass plate 5 may bereadily removed at any time when the boX is empty for cleansing or forrenewing purposes, the catches being pulled upwardly, so as to free theupper edge of the glass, which may then be lifted out from its seatbetween the lug 8 and the front. The labels are always free in theirseat in order that they may be changed as may be desired, according tothe nature of the goods being packed in the boxes.

Having fully described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. A cracker-box having a sheet-metal front provided with two openingsone above the other, one of said openings adapted to be closed by alabel and the other by a transparent plate, corner-strips secured to theinner face of the said front and receiving said label, and means carriedby said corner-strips to engage and hold the transparent plate inposition, said means comprising on each cornerstrip a keeper having aseat in its inner face, a catch slidably mounted for vertical movementin the keeper and having a projection to engage the seat in the keeper,and ribs on the catch for limiting the movement of the catch in bothdirections.

2. A cracker-bcx having a sheet-metal front furnished with openingstherein, two removable plates for closing said openings, corner'stripssecured to the inner face of said sheet-metal front for holding one ofsaid removable plates, a keeper carried by each of said cornerstrips,each keeper having a seat,

catches for holding the other of said remov able plates, said catchesmounted to slide in said keepers and provided with projections to engagethe seat in'the keepers, and means carried by said catches to engageopposite edges of the keeper and limit the movement of the catches inthe keepers.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

JAMES B. ARTHUR.

Witnesses:

E. E. POTTER, H. O. EVERT.

